THE ROLE OF CHRISTIAN RELIGIOUS STUDIES IN COMBATING CORRUPTION AMONG SENIOR SECONDARY SCHOOLS A CASE STUDY OF JOS NORTH LOCAL GOVERNMENT

CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

1.1. Background of the study

Christian religious studies is one among the religious subjects taught in secondary schools in Nigeria today and has been proven to have taken the central position in ensuring moral and spiritual well being of individuals in the society. Christian religious studies play vital roles among senior secondary school students, youths in Nigeria and beyond. It equips them and helps them in ensuring high level of morality in the society. This subject provides them with more opportunities to learn more about God and thereby develop their faith in God.  CRS stands as manual students, youths hold on to, for assistance in developing their Christian attitude and moral values (e.g, humility, respect, love, and justice, etc).  To instill in students, youths, the spirit to combat corruption, the spirit of tolerance,reconciliation, peaceful co existence and non-violence as well as to develop and foster in the students/youths, the spirit of respect for all people and human life, CRS needs to be encouraged in senior secondary schools.

Without effective religious studies in senior secondary schools,  Nigerian as a nation will likely end up in conflict, religious crisis, insurgencies and social unrest among other things. Christian religious studies are viewed as one of the means to restore moral and social order in the society. For example, after a long description of the moral decay in Nigeria which is portrayed in rampant fraud, evidence of corruption in high and low places, bribery, stealing and robbery with violence, scandalous nepotism and political patronage and abuse of power, excessive materials and general indiscipline, Iheomia (1995) concludes by saying: “in the final analysis what matters most to a nation’s well-being is its spiritual and moral health. Everything else which a nation struggles for depends on this…whether it is national integration, political stability, economic development or educational, scientific and technological progress. Nigeria is a nation morally and spiritually sick. The main objective of CRstudies in Nigeria schools must be to combat corruption, restore sanity to the nations way of life through the entrenchment in peoples’ psyche such values as honesty, discipline, respect and concern for others, justice and devotion to duty.